Complaint about Maryland taxes fails to consider effect of the alternative minimum tax

In his op-ed "Annapolis dines at federal expense" (June 13) Sean Kennedy wrote: "The more Maryland taxes federal employees, the less money Uncle Sam can ask from them in taxes." I have issues with this on several points.

First, this applies to all workers, not just federal, and it is an attempt by the IRS to eliminate income taxes on money that is spent to pay other income taxes. Second, it only applies if one itemizes and does not take the standard deduction. Third, the alternative minimum tax eliminates this subsidy since it does not recognize either the standard or itemized state tax deduction (or personal exemptions either). It replaces these with an AMT exemption. In 2012, (for married, filing jointly) this will be reduced to $45,000 (from $74,450 in 2011) and will dramatically increase the taxes owed by most middle class citizens.

For example, using "the average salary for a federal employee in the area" of $95,000 and a family of four claiming the standard deduction, they might expect to pay Uncle Sam $9,315 in taxes for 2012. But the AMT, because of the decrease in the exemption, will demand $13,000, or a $3,685 increase. This is an increase of almost 40 percent! Perhaps "American taxpayers should be outraged" about this tax code gimmick.

Robert Ehrlich stated in a recent column that "only a Republican House could guarantee no tax increases as part of a budget deal." How is this additional 40 percent not a tax increase? Maybe Mr. Kennedy's think tank should think about this hidden tax increase of thousands of dollars per family.

Recently, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford announced that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) should be considered as an alternative instead of the now-shelved Red Line light rail system ("Who knew Hogan, Rutherford were such transit geeks," July 15). Why? Costs. Light rail is extremely expensive — to the tune of...

In light of the Orioles recent near-death spiral, many fans have pinned the blame on the Buck Showalter Garden Gnome giveaway ("Buck Showalter garden gnome briefly causes long lines at Camden Yards," June 28). True, their record since the promotion has been dismal and Buck Showalter was warned...

Like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's Smarter Baltimore draft report, the commentary, "Broadband for Baltimore" (July 27), has solid recommendations for building high speed Internet in Baltimore. But like that report, it ignores the principal reason that Baltimore City doesn't have broadband. Verizon's...

We sat 5,000-plus strong in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the District of Columbia for three intense days of Christians United For Israel (CUFI) 10th summit on July 12-14. We came from all across the nation (including 95 members from other countries and 500 college students). We...

In its recent editorial, The Sun adopts President Barack Obama's primary argument in favor of the Iran deal — that the only choice is the deal or war ("A 'good enough' agreement," July 24). No one wants war. But the choice here is not war or no war. It is war now or war later.

Why are the press and both political parties so upset that Donald Trump is running for president ("The Trump lesson that Bush and Clinton should heed," July 27)? Could it be that he does not need someone else's money so the Democratic National Committee, GOP, George Soros or big business can't...

The people screaming for more gun control and more gun laws and all the other useless ideas should be finding out why the laws now in place are not being enforced. The last maniac to shoot up a theater should have never been able to purchase a gun but evidently some judge did not do her job ("Gunman...